Acalypha plant named ‘Sizzle Scissors’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Acalypha  plant named ‘Sizzle Scissors’, characterized by its compact, rounded, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; and deeply and irregularly crenate leaves that are green, pink and red purple in color.

Botanical designation: Acalypha godseffiana.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sizzle Scissors’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Acalypha plant, botanically known as Acalypha godseffiana, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sizzle Scissors’.

The new Acalypha originated is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of a proprietary selection of Acalypha godseffiana ‘Firestorm’, not patented. The new Acalypha was discovered and selected by the Inventor on a single plant within a population of plants of ‘Firestorm’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Bonsall, Calif. in 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Acalypha by vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Bonsall, Calif. since 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Acalypha are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Sizzle Scissors has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sizzle Scissors’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sizzle Scissors’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Acalypha:

-   -   1. Compact, rounded, upright and outwardly spreading plant         habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Deeply and irregularly crenate leaves that are green, pink         and red purple in color.

Plants of the new Acalypha differ from plants of the parent, ‘Firestorm’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Acalypha are more compact than plants of         ‘Firestorm’.     -   2. Plants of the new Acalypha have narrower and more crenate         leaves than plants of ‘Firestorm’.

Plants of the new Acalypha can be compared to plants of the Acalypha ‘Dallas’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,475. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Bonsall, Calif., plants of the new Acalypha differed from plants of ‘Dallas’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Acalypha had more crenate leaves than         plants of ‘Dallas’.     -   2. Plants of the new Acalypha had green, pink and red         purple-colored leaves whereas than plants of ‘Dallas’ had yellow         and green-colored leaves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Acalypha. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Acalypha.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of three typical plants of ‘Sizzle Scissors’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical plant of ‘Sizzle Scissors’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs, and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif. during the autumn in an outdoor nursery in one-gallon containers and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Acalypha production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 38° C. and night temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 21° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical plants. Plants were 18 weeks old when the photographs and description were taken and were pinched one time. The following description describes single plants.

-   Botanical classification: Acalypha godseffiana ‘Sizzle Scissors’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of Acalypha     godseffiana ‘Firestorm’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, medium in thickness; white in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit.—Compact, rounded, upright and outwardly             spreading plant habit. Freely branching habit with about             five to six primary lateral branches per plant; pinching             enhances lateral branch development; dense and bushy plant             habit. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 24 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 21 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 21 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2.5 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 1.6 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color, developing stems.—Close to 145A.         -   Color, mature stems.—Close to 195A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Towards the base of the plant, alternate;             towards the apex of the plant, whorled; simple.         -   Length.—About 6 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.3 cm to 1.6 cm.         -   Shape.—Roughly elliptical and deeply crenate; twisting.         -   Apex.—Rounded to broadly acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Deeply crenate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: Close to 147A.             Developing foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to 147A; lobes, close             to 50C; margins, close to 59B; venation, close to 183A.             Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B; lobes,             close to 50C; venation, close to 183B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 2.7 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent.             Color, upper surface: Close to 177C. Color, lower surface:             Close to 182B. -   Flower description: Flower development has not been observed on     plants of the new Acalypha. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Acalypha have been observed to     tolerate wind, rain and temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 38° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Acalypha have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Acalyphas. 

1. A new and distinct Acalypha plant named ‘Sizzle Scissors’ as illustrated and described. 